Conor Kennedy, the great grandnephew of President John F. Kennedy, has been placed on an international wanted list by Russia after being accused of fighting for Ukraine, according to Russian state media.
Moscow court authorizes arrest in absentia
Russia's state news agency TASS reported that a Moscow court has authorized Kennedy's arrest in absentia, alleging the 32-year-old acted as a mercenary while serving with Ukrainian forces. Under Russian law, the charge can carry a prison sentence of seven to 10 years should a defendant be brought before a court on Russian soil.
The move is largely symbolic, given that the order was issued in absentia and Kennedy is not currently in Russia. It also remained unclear why the court action was taken now, nearly four years after Kennedy publicly stated he had travelled to Ukraine to join foreign volunteers during the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Kennedy's service with Ukraine's International Legion
Kennedy revealed in 2022 that he had enlisted with Ukraine's International Legion, a unit established to unite volunteers from abroad. In an Instagram post shared that October, he said he went because he was "deeply moved" by what he witnessed and felt compelled to help Ukraine after Russia's invasion, which has been widely condemned internationally as illegal.
"I told one person here where I was, and I told one person there my real name," he wrote at the time, explaining he wanted to avoid worrying family and friends and did not want special treatment. Kennedy described those he encountered as extraordinarily brave, noting that the legion comprised volunteers from various nations and walks of life who, in his words, were fighting for freedom.
He revealed that his time on the front line was brief, but confirmed he had served in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. He did not publicly disclose precise dates for when he joined or departed the unit, and no independent verification from Russian authorities exists beyond the court claim referenced by state media.
Background and similar rulings
Kennedy is the third-oldest child of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the first child from Kennedy Jr.'s marriage to Mary Richardson. He is of the Kennedy Clan of US politics and is the great grandnephew of President JFK and has also attracted tabloid interest in the past, having previously dated pop star Taylor Swift.
In 2016, Kennedy was arrested outside a Colorado nightclub following an incident reportedly linked to defending a friend who had been subjected to a homophobic slur, according to People. He subsequently pleaded guilty and received a deferred sentence, a fine, and additional court-imposed conditions.
TASS also reported that other foreign volunteers, including individuals from the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Colombia, and the Czech Republic, have faced comparable rulings in Russian courts. The development emerges as Washington presses ahead with its critical attempts to influence the next stage of the war, a conflict that continues to be a flashpoint in global politics.
